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Quickmart is coming to the Nairobi Securities Exchange, and Kenyans will soon be able to own a piece of one of the country’s biggest supermarket chains. On 23 September 2026, Quick Mart PLC announced its intention to list on the NSE through an offer for sale of 2 billion existing shares, about 50% of the company, by its current owner. If you want to buy Quickmart shares, this guide walks through exactly how it works, what the business is worth, the dividends on offer, and the honest catch most people will miss.
The short version: you will buy Quickmart shares through a licensed NSE stockbroker using a CDS account, during the public offer window that is expected to open on or around 30 September 2026. The exact price per share and the minimum application will be confirmed in the official Information Memorandum, so treat the steps below as your head start, not the final terms.
What is the Quickmart IPO?
Strictly speaking, this is an offer for sale, not a fresh capital raise. Quickmart’s sole shareholder, Sokoni Retail Kenya Limited (SRKL), plans to sell 2 billion of its existing ordinary shares (nominal value KES 0.2 each), representing 50% of Quickmart’s issued share capital, with no over-allotment option. Quickmart itself is issuing no new shares and will receive none of the money raised; the expenses of the offer are borne by the selling shareholder and the net proceeds go to it.
Why does that distinction matter to you? Because the company is not raising cash to fund expansion; the existing owner is realising part of its investment and creating a public free float. If the over-allotment option is not used, SRKL keeps about 50% of Quickmart; if it is used in full, SRKL’s stake falls to roughly 42.5%. The selling shareholder is also subject to a lock-up on its remaining shares after the offer, which limits how quickly it can sell more. None of this makes Quickmart a bad buy, but you are buying shares from an exiting owner, not putting new money into the business, and an honest guide says so plainly.
| Quickmart offer at a glance | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Offer for sale (existing shares) |
| Seller | Sokoni Retail Kenya Limited (funds managed by Adenia Partners) |
| Shares on offer | 2 billion (about 50%), no over-allotment |
| Market | Main Investment Market Segment, NSE |
| Open to | Kenyan retail and institutional investors, East African Community investors, and eligible foreign investors |
| Announced | 23 September 2026 |
| Expected launch | On or around 30 September 2026 |
| Price / minimum | To be confirmed in the Information Memorandum |
| Advisers | SBG Securities / Stanbic Bank (lead); Dyer & Blair (co-placing agent) |
Update: the Quickmart IPO is now open at KES 7.50 a share
The wait is over, and the price is set. On 5 October 2026, Quick Mart PLC launched its IPO with full approval from the Capital Markets Authority. The offer is 2 billion existing shares at KES 7.50 per share, which values the whole company at about KES 30 billion and raises KES 15 billion for the selling shareholder. Here is everything you now need in order to apply.
- Offer price: KES 7.50 per share.
- Minimum application: 500 shares, which is KES 3,750, then in multiples of 100 shares. There is no maximum.
- Offer size: KES 15 billion for 2 billion shares (50% of the company). There is no over-allotment option.
- Market value at the offer price: about KES 30 billion.
- A CDS account is required, and the offer is not underwritten.
- Cornerstone investor: the International Finance Corporation (part of the World Bank Group) has committed up to USD 15 million, about KES 1.94 billion or 13% of the offer.
How to apply for the Quickmart IPO
You must hold a CDS account first, then apply in one of three ways:
- Online through the official e-offer portal at quickmartipo.e-offer.app, uploading your supporting documents.
- By mobile, dialling USSD *483*803#, available for applications of up to KES 250,000.
- On a physical form, downloaded from the portal and submitted to a placing agent (such as SBG Securities or Dyer & Blair) before 5pm on the closing date.
| Event | Date (2026) |
|---|---|
| Offer opens | 5 October |
| Offer closes (retail investors) | 30 October |
| Results and allocation announced | 6 November |
| Allotment and CDS accounts credited | 11 November |
| Listing and first trading on the NSE | 12 November |
One honest note on value: at KES 7.50 the market is pricing Quickmart at about KES 30 billion, roughly 17 to 18 times its last full-year profit of about KES 1.7 billion. That is a full but not extreme price for a fast-growing retailer, so weigh it carefully against the risks further down. Note too the minimum subscription condition: if applications cover less than 75% of the offer, it will not proceed and your money is refunded without interest.
Quickmart the business, by the numbers
Before you buy Quickmart shares, understand what you would own. Quickmart is a modern grocery retailer operating exclusively in Kenya, selling food, fresh produce, household essentials and general merchandise. It was formed in 2020 from the merger of two founder-led supermarket businesses, Quickmart (founded in Nakuru in 2006) and Tumaini, both backed by investment firm Adenia Partners. Today it is the country’s second largest supermarket chain by store count and turnover, with an estimated 15% share of the modern grocery market.
- 72 stores across 16 counties as at the announcement (26 hypermarkets, 28 supermarkets and 14 express stores as at 30 June 2026, plus four opened since), 35 of them open 24 hours.
- About 5 million customer transactions a month in the first half of 2026.
- Around 2.5 million Q-Points loyalty members (up from about 300,000 in 2021), who drove roughly 74% of sales and spend about 2.5 times more than non-members.
- Around 40,000 products (SKUs), including the Q-Choice and Q-Fresh private labels.
- An asset-light model: all stores are leased, not owned, which supported a striking 42.8% return on invested capital in FY2025.
- A target of more than 100 stores over the medium term, adding 10 to 15 a year.
On the money, Quickmart reported audited revenue of KES 50.4 billion for the year to 31 December 2025 and an adjusted profit after tax of about KES 1.7 billion, with revenue compounding at 18.4% a year since 2021. First-half 2026 revenue was KES 27.3 billion. This is a genuinely large, fast-growing Kenyan consumer business, and a rare chance to buy a listed retailer you already shop in. For context on how it would sit next to the market’s other big names, see our guides to the top 10 NSE stocks and the NSE stocks to watch.
How to buy Quickmart shares from Kenya
Buying into an NSE offer is straightforward once you have the right account. Here is how to buy Quickmart shares step by step:
- Open a CDS account. This is the account that holds your shares electronically. Your stockbroker or investment bank opens it for you, usually free, with your ID, KRA PIN and a passport photo.
- Choose a licensed NSE stockbroker or authorised selling agent. You apply for the offer through one of them. SBG Securities is the lead transaction adviser and Dyer & Blair the co-placing agent, but any licensed broker can process your application. See our guide to the best stockbrokers in Kenya to pick one.
- Get the Information Memorandum. Once the offer opens (expected on or around 30 September 2026), read the official document for the price, the minimum number of shares, and the application deadline.
- Fund your account and apply during the offer window, stating how many shares you want and paying the required amount.
- Wait for allotment. If the offer is oversubscribed, you may receive fewer shares than you applied for, with any balance refunded. Your allotted shares then reflect in your CDS account and start trading once Quickmart lists on the Main Investment Market Segment.
Given Quickmart’s huge retail customer base, watch for whether the offer also allows applications through mobile channels such as the M-Pesa app, the way some recent Kenyan offers have. We will update this guide the moment the official channels are confirmed. If you are completely new to this, our beginner walkthrough on buying shares in Kenya covers the basics first, and the offer is open to Kenyan retail and institutional investors, investors elsewhere in the East African Community, and eligible foreign investors (though not in the US, UK, Canada, Australia or Japan).
Price, dates and timeline
The announcement came on 23 September 2026, and the offer is expected to launch on or around 30 September 2026, subject to regulatory approvals from the Capital Markets Authority and the NSE. The one thing not yet public is the most important one: the offer price per share and the minimum application. Those will be set out in the Information Memorandum when the offer opens, so anyone quoting you a firm Quickmart share price today is guessing. We will add the verified price here the moment it is published.
One useful anchor while you wait: the offer is 2 billion shares for 50% of the company, which means Quickmart has about 4 billion shares in issue. Once the price is announced, you can multiply it by 4 billion to see the value the market is being asked to put on the whole business, then compare that against the roughly KES 1.7 billion of annual profit to judge whether it looks fair. We will run exactly that sum for you here once the number lands, so you can decide whether to buy Quickmart shares at a fair price.
Quickmart dividends: what you could earn
For income-focused investors, the dividend story is the most attractive reason to buy Quickmart shares. The board intends to target a payout of at least 80% of annual profit after tax, paid twice a year, with the first dividend (for the second half of 2026) expected in the first half of 2027. Quickmart also has a real track record of paying: dividends of about KES 1.65 billion for 2025, KES 1.2 billion for 2024, KES 782 million for 2023 and KES 106 million for 2022, roughly KES 3.7 billion returned over four years.
Looking ahead, the company says it expects to distribute about KES 2.0 billion in dividends for 2026 and KES 2.5 billion for 2027, which on its own projections would be payout ratios of roughly 95% and 90%. Those are generous numbers for a growing company, and they are the headline reason this listing will appeal to dividend hunters. The honest caveat: dividends depend on the company staying profitable and on the board’s discretion, and paying out most of your profit leaves less to reinvest, so future payouts are a plan, not a promise.
The honest view before you buy
The case for buying Quickmart shares is easy to see: a large, growing, consistently profitable retailer with a household brand, a loyal 2.5 million-member customer base, an asset-light model with a 42.8% return on capital, and a generous dividend policy, listing at a moment when Kenyans are hungry for new NSE options. If it is priced fairly, it could be one of the more interesting consumer listings in years.
The case for caution is just as real, and the announcement is refreshingly open about the risks. Grocery retail runs on thin margins: a KES 1.7 billion profit on KES 50.4 billion of revenue is only about a 3% net margin, so the valuation in the Information Memorandum will matter enormously. The business also operates only in Kenya, which ties it to local inflation, the shilling and consumer spending.
There are operational risks too. Every store is leased, so rising rents and lease renewals are a real risk. Growth depends on rolling out new stores on time and on budget, and competition from established chains and new entrants is fierce. And because this is an offer for sale, the existing owner is selling half the business, which always invites the question of price and timing.
Until you can see the offer price against those earnings, treat Quickmart as a promising story you cannot yet value. Never buy on hype alone, and consider it a small part of a diversified plan rather than a bet. For calmer, steadier options while you decide, compare with the best dividend stocks in Kenya, and see how this listing stacks up against the recent Dangote share offer and the wider Dangote Refinery IPO.
Frequently asked questions
How can I buy Quickmart shares in Kenya?
Open a CDS account through a licensed NSE stockbroker, then apply for the shares during the public offer window (expected to open around 30 September 2026) using the price and minimum set out in the Information Memorandum. Your allotted shares reflect in your CDS account once Quickmart lists.
What is the Quickmart share price?
The offer price is KES 7.50 per share. The offer runs from 5 to 30 October 2026, with a minimum application of 500 shares (KES 3,750) and purchases in multiples of 100 thereafter.
Is Quickmart raising new money in this IPO?
No. This is an offer for sale of existing shares by the owner, Sokoni Retail Kenya Limited. Quickmart issues no new shares and receives none of the proceeds; it says it will keep funding growth from its own cash flows.
Does Quickmart pay dividends?
Yes, and generously. The board targets a payout of at least 80% of annual profit after tax, paid twice a year, with the first dividend for the second half of 2026 expected in the first half of 2027. It has paid about KES 3.7 billion over the past four years. Dividends depend on profitability and board discretion.
Who owns Quickmart?
Quickmart is wholly owned by Sokoni Retail Kenya Limited, whose funds are managed by investment firm Adenia Partners, alongside the founders of Quickmart and Tumaini and the group CEO. After the offer, this shareholder retains about 50%, with a 24-month lock-up on 60% of those shares.
Disclaimer: The content on Sarafu is for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute financial, investment, or professional advice. Figures are drawn from Quick Mart PLC’s intention-to-float announcement of 23 September 2026 and are subject to regulatory approval and the final Information Memorandum. The offer price is not yet public, and projected figures are the company’s own estimates. Always do your own research, read the official offer document, and consider consulting a licensed financial advisor before making any decision.
